Music may help people with epilepsy

Interesting, after my wife’s 1996 AVM stroke, she could only sing but not speak as the left temporal side of her brain was damaged by a golf ball sized blood clot.

Four days after the AVM event, the neurosurgeon asked her to sing “Happy Birthday” and she did it without fail. But, she could not vocalize any non-singing speech.

Yes, after 30 days of just saying NO as her only vocal speech [typical woman, eh?], she spontaneously regained her speech, albeit impeded by Expressive Aphaisia even to this day.

BTW, my wife can only employ branded Lamictal. Her current regimen is 2 x 200 mg a day = 600 mg, with no adverse effects. Her last tonic clonic (and only seizure event) was in 2002, with one notable exception.

In 2011 my wife was hospitalized for an unrelated procedure. The hospital provided Lamictal generic. Yup, a day of tonic clonic seizures ensued.

Now my wife takes her bottle of branded Lamictal when she needs to stay in the hospital. The hospital pharmacy certifies the med and we are OK. And, it saves a few "exorbitant" dollars, if we don't use the hospital's generic.

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Thank you for sharing this very interesting study. I'm a Buckeye and am delighted that this study comes from Ohio State.

I'm not as surprised as the researchers are! I have seen how music transforms my sons, both animate and calm them. Bedtime music is a staple in our home. If Jon has insomnia or is restless, we just keep playing music for him, until he relaxes and falls to sleep. Music therapy has been around for decades, particularly for children with special needs.

Your wife's singing after her AVM event is quite intriguing. What did the doctor say about it then? Was it common or unusual for an AVM patient to sing?

How wonderful that your wife's seizures are controlled with Lamictal. That's excellent that you are able to bring in her branded Lamictal to the hospital. Shameful, though, that the hospital can't acquire it for her, even if they don't carry it regularly.

May she continue to be seizure-free. All the best to you both ~

Love & Light,

Rose

Mom to Jon, 48, (seizure disorder; Gtube; trache; colostomy; osteoporosis; hypothyroid; enlarged prostate; lymphedema, assorted mysteries) and Michael, 32, (intractable seizures; Gtube), who were born with an undiagnosed progressive neuromuscular disease and courageous spirits. Our Angel Michael received his wings in 2003 and now resides in Heaven. Our Angel Jon lives at home with me and Jim, the world's most wonderful dad.

The following user says "thanks"

Hi Ted,
Thanks for sharing this info. I have found that music helps calm my nerves and I have a lot less sz. when I listen to music. We have also done a study at work in Special Ed and have found
it calms down students who have autism also. Thanks again for the great news I really appreciate it.
Wishing you and your family only the best and May God Bless All of You!

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Nope not unusual: speech = left side of brain, music = right side.
That's how he quickly deduced that the "damage" was localized, albeit the deficits spawned by the AVM stroke linger to this day.
= = = =
By the way Depakote was a major issue. Higher doses to prevent break-through seizures rendered my wife incapable of doing simple tasks such as calling me via the phone (could not navigate digits), could not operate TV remote and generated permanent alopeccia universalis.
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The upside, my wife wears wigs and I have a choice of a blond, brunette, etc. A new woman each day. hehehe

Some years ago, when my daughter was an infant, I taped her vocalizations, both when she laughed and giggled as well as when she cried.
So one day she was laughing and giggling and I played the "crying" tape....yup, she began to cry.
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Another time she was crying and I played the "happy" tape. You're ahead of me...yes, she stopped crying and started laughing and giggling.
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Recently, I experienced similar results with my six month old granddaughter.

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